CONCLUSIONS ADOPTED BY THE EXECUTIVE ... - UNHCR

The Executive Committee,
1980 (Executive Committee—31 st Session)
No. 18 (XXXI) VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION ∗ (1980)
(a) Recognized that voluntary repatriation constitutes generally, and in particular when a country accedes
to independence, the most appropriate solution for refugee problems;
(b) Stressed that the essentially voluntary character of repatriation should always be respected;
(c) Recognized the desirability of appropriate arrangements to establish the voluntary character of
repatriation, both as regards the repatriation of individual refugees and in the case of large-scale repatriation
movements, and for UNHCR, whenever necessary, to be associated with such arrangements;
(d) Considered that when refugees express the wish to repatriate, both the government of their country of
origin and the government of their country of asylum should, within the framework of their national legislation
and, whenever necessary, in co-operation with UNHCR take all requisite steps to assist them to do so;
(e) Recognized the importance of refugees being provided with the necessary information regarding
conditions in their country of origin in order to facilitate their decision to repatriate; recognized further that
visits by individual refugees or refugee representatives to their country of origin to inform themselves of the
situation there–without such visits automatically involving loss of refugee status–could also be of assistance in
this regard;
(f) Called upon governments of countries of origin to provide formal guarantees for the safety of returning
refugees and stressed the importance of such guarantees being fully respected and of returning refugees not
being penalized for having left their country of origin for reasons giving rise to refugee situations;
(g) Recommended that arrangements be adopted in countries of asylum for ensuring that the terms of
guarantees provided by countries of origin and relevant information regarding conditions prevailing there are
duly communicated to refugees, that such arrangements could be facilitated by the authorities of countries of
asylum and that UNHCR should as appropriate be associated with such arrangements;
(h) Considered that UNHCR could appropriately be called upon-with the agreement of the parties
concerned-to monitor the situation of returning refugees with particular regard to any guarantees provided by the
governments of countries of origin;
(i) Called upon the governments concerned to provide repatriating refugees with the necessary travel
documents, visas, entry permits and transportation facilities and, if refugees have lost their nationality, to
arrange for such nationality to be restored in accordance with national legislation;
(j) Recognized that it may be necessary in certain situations to make appropriate arrangements in cooperation
with UNHCR for the reception of returning refugees and/or to establish projects for their reintegration
in their country of origin.
∗ CONCLUSION ENDORSED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER’S
PROGRAMME UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF REFUGEES
23